Investigating changes in sea ice lead density in the Northwest Passage using satellite altimetry and optical imagery ...

• Published in: Nature Communications
• Main Authors: Swiggs, Amy, Shepherd, Andrew, Lawrence, Isobel
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences 2023
• Subjects: Arctic; Canadian Arctic Archipelago; Northwest Passage; Arctic Archipelago; ice pack; Northwest passage; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.57757/iugg23-2593; https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5019294

<!--!introduction!--> Leads are narrow, dynamic openings within the sea ice pack. They are of vital importance for heat and moisture exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean, and their distribution and geometry can affect the movement and stability of the surrounding ice. Furthermore, leads are essential for providing safe shipping routes, with sea ice being hazardous to transiting ships. The identification of leads is also crucial for calculating sea ice freeboard from satellite altimetry because the correct discrimination of leads and floes allows the sea surface height to be determined, which is an essential component of sea ice freeboard and thickness calculation. Inaccurate discrimination of leads can therefore lead to systematic errors in estimates of sea ice thickness. Here, we investigate changes in the density and distribution of leads in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, with a focus on the Northwest Passage due to its strategic and economic interest as a shipping route. Leads and floes ... : The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023) ...